Local News

Water rates going up in Log Lane Village

Trustees switch cell service providers

The Log Lane Village Board of Trustees on Wednesday night approved a $1 per month increase to the town's base water rates for residents.

The increase brings the base rate to $66, with the same volume charges still in place.

Trustee Dee Jimenez had proposed the flat $1 base increase after some discussion by the board members about the differences in costs for different amounts of usage. The board decided this was a good way to keep it simpler.

"People always have a hard time understanding water rates," Mayor Ed Parker said, but this change was a flat $1 increase.

For example, under the new rate schedule someone who used 42,000 gallons of water in one month would pay $221, instead of the $220 that would have cost before the increase.

Public Works Director Bert Kammerzell said this was a fairly average amount of monthly use for a small-to-medium family and was what the system's model went off of. He also said that average water usage per person is about 120 gallons per day, but in March the town's per person usage averaged 47 gallons.

But Kammerzell pointed out that bills vary based on usage, such as if laundry was done, lawns were watered or how many showers were taken.

"Everything's seasonal," he said. "It just depends on the user" for what the bill would be.

Seniors 65 and over would still be eligible for a $5 discount on their water bills, Town Clerk Kim Alva said.

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The board decided to put the increase in place because Morgan County Quality Water District, which supplies the town's water, had increased the rates it charges the town.

Residents then pay the town for the water they use, and the town pays MCQWD the total bill.

But the water rates residents and businesses pay also need to cover the costs of maintaining the water system infrastructure and servicing the debt on the system.

Because the town had not done any rate increases despite multiple increases in what the supplier charges for the water, the board decided it was time to up the rates a little.

Kammerzell previously had reminded the board that the town has "an aging infrastructure," and money could be needed for sudden repairs at any time, as well as planned upgrades.

"This increase is mainly due to the increase by Quality Water," Parker said, but he added that the town needed to have money available for water emergencies and maintenance.

Town Attorney Carl McGuire also pointed out that MCQWD's new rates went into effect March 1, "so we're already behind."

The date for when the rate increase would go into effect was not yet known Wednesday night, as the board would have to approve a revised ordinance at an upcoming meeting to codify the rate change.

McGuire had advised the board that they "can vote, but it won't be effective until the new ordinance is published and passed."

The board was unanimous in voting for the $1 base increase, and the trustees said they would approve a new ordinance to formally support the change.

Cell phone contract

The board approved contracting with Sprint for wireless service and new cell phones for town employees.

Alva reported to the board that even with insurance costs, it would wind up cheaper each month for the Sprint contract than current provider Viaero Wireless. The town's monthly bill from Sprint would be $216, which was $16.07 less than with the current service from Viaero.

She said that Sprint offered a number of free phones, including iPhones, and offered better service within and close to the town.

"Bert's phone is dropping calls like crazy," Alva said, making it hard sometimes to reach the public works director in emergencies.

Log Lane Marshal Fred Cook said he did not want a fancy phone, jokingly citing the senior-citizen-friendly, uncomplicated Jitterbug phone as his preference.

The board had previously tabled this issue, as the town was on a month-to-month plan with Viaero.

But Parker said he thought a decision needed to be made.

Trustee Jeanie Cardona made a motion to approve the contract with Sprint and get new cell phones for the employees, and the board unanimously approved it.

Other action

The board also:

Tabled until next month a decision on setting a limit on the number of dogs or cats residents may keep or specifying what required a kennel license. Board members decided they wanted to discuss this more at the next work session.

Tabled until next month action on paying Cook for accrued comp time. The board asked Cook to provide copies of his dispatch logs as verification for the more than $12,000 he was requesting for more than a year's worth of comp time. The trustees also decided to consider restarting the marshal's reserves program and wanted to discuss this in the next work session.

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